


Breathless

by Nachoaveragelesbro



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:00:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nachoaveragelesbro/pseuds/Nachoaveragelesbro
Summary: ~First fic in ten years~Dani x Jamie fluffPretty much a rewrite with a happier ending?
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Jamie Taylor was not a patient woman. In fact you could have called her the most impatient woman in Bly and it wouldn't have been that far off. Yet when she walked into the kitchen on that fateful day and found the beautiful blonde Au Pair sitting at the kitchen table she felt this sudden calm wash over her. It was as if she'd known her for her entire life despite not even sharing a look. Only until later on that night while she was finishing up in the garden did she finally manage to introduce herself. “So you must be the new Au Pair to the little weirdos.” Jamie found herself blushing slightly as she shook Dani Clayton's hand. Her hand felt warm and comfortable as if it had been made for her own. She shook the thought out of her head almost instantly and hoped Dani hadn't noticed her staring for what seemed to be an incredible amount of time. Dani smiled warmly and nodded. “Uh my name's Dani. Dani Clayton. I'm from America.” Jamie laughed. “I would never have guessed given the attempt to make tea earlier. You could have killed us with the sugar alone!” She hoped she wasn't being too mean at first. She could never tell how people would take her sense of humor. To her surprise though the au pair let out a laugh that sounded like a melody to her ears. She shook that thought away too. She refused to let herself get carried away with the notion creeping through her head. “I'm used to tea that comes in a bottle and is already mixed. Maybe you can show me how to make a real cup of tea though. I need all the help I can get.” Jamie looked up and saw Dani's cheeks steadily turning red and her stomach fluttered at the idea of her in the kitchen helping the poor American learn how to make a proper cuppa. “Yeah I'd like that. You poor Americans with your bottled tea and too much sweetener. You're going to give the children diabetes if you carry on like that. I have to get back to the plants before nightfall but whenever you're ready to learn how to make proper tea just let me know. It was nice to meet you Ms. Clayton.” Jamie's heart stammered as the words streamed out. She knew how stupid she sounded but she couldn't help but smile as Dani nodded and turned towards the house. Maybe the au pair wouldn't be so bad to have around after all.

It had been awhile since Jamie had truly held feelings for anyone let alone romanced a woman. She wondered if she'd still be any good at it but given last night's introduction she had a feeling it would be a rough ride in the romance department. She didn't even know if Dani was a lesbian and she didn't want to assume but all she knew was that she felt a spark and she hoped that Dani had felt it too.

The next morning Jamie arrived at Bly at exactly 6:00 am and wandered into the kitchen to make tea as she did every morning. Usually no one was awake so she had the kitchen to herself and she could enjoy the peace and quiet yet this morning there was someone else joining her. “I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd make the kid's breakfast before Owen arrived.” Dani said with a smile. “Don't mind me Poppins. I just need a cuppa before I go and check on the roses.” Jamie glanced over at Dani who was still giving her the same doe eyed look she had last night. “Mind showing me how you make a propa cuppa?” Dani had her hand on the teapot while grinning at her own attempt at a British accent. Jamie rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. “You need water first. Let it boil and I'll show you how to add the tea bags properly. Then you need milk and a teaspoon of sugar but no more than that or you'll ruin it. You poor Americans and your inability to make tea. What do they teach you in school anyway?” She felt herself questioning every word leaving her lips again but to her own shock Dani had grazed her hand while letting out another laugh. Her skin was on fire from the touch but it felt better than anything she'd ever felt before. As Jamie showed the American how to make a proper cup of tea she wondered what it would be to hold Dani in her arms at night. They talked about their lives before Bly and past friendships. Jamie felt as if she could tell Dani anything and everything about herself and every movement was easy with her. It was as if they were meant to meet. “Okay this is good tea. I'm so sorry you all had to taste whatever I was making before.” Dani grinned at Flora and Hannah who had joined herself and Jamie in the kitchen. Flora giggled and looked up at Jamie with the goofy grin that made her melt. She wasn't fond of kids but she had a special bond with Flora and she wanted to protect her at all costs. “Well kids I best be off. The roses need pruning and I have plants that are thirsty.” She put her cup in the sink and winked at Dani. “Good job on the tea. You might have it in you yet!” She watched the red creep across Dani's cheeks yet again and felt her own heart starting to tap dance but quickly left the kitchen before she could say anything else that would get her into trouble.

It was later on in the afternoon and she had finished with the roses finally when she stumbled upon the Au Pair hiding behind a hedge and shaking. She was in a fit of tears so Jamie tried to do the only thing she knew she could to make things better. She made her laugh. Once her tears had subsided Jamie offered to show her the green house to hopefully calm her down and luckily she agreed. “They all have names. Most people think I'm crazy but I swear I've heard some of the hydrangeas talking shit about me when my back is turned. Little bastards.” She gently lifted one of the hydrangeas to her nose and inhaled. The scent was intoxicating to her but she could feel Dani's eyes watching her every move. “What's this one's name?” Dani had pointed at a smaller violet in a pot. “That one doesn't have a name yet.” She lied. It's name was Hoover but it was a dumb name and she didn't want to tell Dani that. “You should name him something bold like Brad.” Dani grinned. “Brad? That's your idea of a bold name? Well if you insist. From this day forth that violet's name shall be Brad.” Jamie's hand grazed Dani's as she picked up the pot with Brad the Violet in it. Her face was inches from Dani's and she held her breath because all she wanted to do in that moment was drop the plant and embrace her. She held Dani's gaze as she slowly put the plant back and brushed a stray hair from her face. “Well why don't we check out the vegetables? Owen will be excited to see today's harvest!” Jamie quickly hustled to the other end of the greenhouse and hoped she wasn't misinterpreting the signals that Dani was giving off because she wanted nothing more than to kiss her and it was starting to hurt a little.


	2. A Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's fall at Bly and Jamie and Dani start to grow closer.

A few months passed and autumn had fallen over Bly Manor with a quiet hush that brought cooler weather and more nights for drinking in front of bonfires. It was Jamie's favorite time of year and she had grown accustomed to her daily rituals of tea in the morning with Dani. The American still hadn't managed the fine art of preparing tea but she was trying and it made Jamie's heart swell with pride every time she watched her try and get it right morning after morning. She could imagine this happening for the rest of their lives but she still didn't know if she was reading Dani wrong or imagining things. All she knew was that she could tolerate the Au Pair for more than a few minutes and to her that was a foreign concept.

That night Owen had started a bonfire and brought out the good booze. Hannah, Dani, and Jamie all sat huddled around the fire wrapped in blankets and drinking and Jamie couldn't take her eyes off of Dani for most of the night. She knew she had to say something or else she might implode. While Hannah and Owen went inside to grab more alcohol, Jamie finally decided to make her move. She scooted closer to Dani and wrapped her blanket around her shoulders. “You looked a little chilly there Poppins.” Dani was staring off into space and looked almost horrified. “Poppins what's wrong?” She wrapped Dani tighter in an embrace as if trying to protect her from whatever she was afraid of. Suddenly Dani jumped up and moved towards the house. “Dani what's wrong?” Jamie called after her before deciding to follow just in case something was wrong. She found Dani in her room clutching a pair of glasses with a horrified look on her face and watched as Dani made her way back towards the bonfire. Jamie walked back and noticed that Dani had tossed the glasses into the fire and only then did their eyes meet. “Dani are you okay? You're starting to freak me out.” Jamie stood in between the bonfire and Dani a mere foot away as if to protect her. “I'm sorry. I can explain.” Dani started to speak before Jamie found herself hugging her. “It's okay Poppins, you don't need to explain anything to me.” She felt Dani relax a little as her arms wrapped a little tighter. Dani sighed and wrapped her arms around Jamie. “There there Poppins. I won't let anyone hurt you.” She rested her head on Dani's shoulder and held her for a moment before Dani let go. “My ex. We'd broken up and he was killed in front of me. I keep seeing him everywhere. I don't want to see him any more Jamie. It hurts so much.” Dani sat down and wrapped the blanket around herself. Jamie knelt in front of her. “I won't let some dead ex boyfriend hurt you okay? You hear that dead boyfriend? She's moving on! Leave her be!” She shouted into the woods and held Dani's face between her hands. “Poppins I promise you nothing is going to get to you while I'm around okay?” Dani nodded and rested her forehead on Jamie's. Jamie noticed her eyes were closed and her breathing was steadying and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. “Come on Poppins there's something you need to see.” Jamie reached for Dani's hand and led her into an alcove in the greenhouse. It was her safe place where she went if she needed some privacy and letting Dani into it was a huge deal for her. Not even the kids knew of her secret haven within the greenhouse because the entrance was covered in a thicket of ivy. Dani's eyes widened when she saw the little nook Jamie had made for herself. Jamie had decorated it with twinkling fairy lights and a beanbag chair. Beside it were some of her favorite books. “Jamie this is beautiful!” Jamie watched as Dani scanned the little room and grinned. “You're in luck Poppins because you're only the second person to enter this room.” Dani stopped and looked at Jamie. “Why are you showing me this?” Jamie reached for Dani's hands and smiled. “You've been through the wringer Poppins and if you ever need an escape you can come here and get away. I've cried many tears in this room and I wanted to share it with you.” She looked at the ground and felt Dani's hands wrap around her waist. “Thank you.” Jamie looked up and smiled before leaning in to kiss the Au Pair for the first time. “Are you okay?” She whispered leaning her forehead on Dani's. Dani nodded. “Thank fuck.” Jamie whispered before kissing Dani. They found themselves on the floor of the little alcove for over an hour just kissing and talking. After awhile Dani looked at her watch and said, “Hannah and Owen are going to wonder what happened to us. We should get back.” Jami groaned before reaching for another kiss. “I guess you're right. My buzz is wearing off anyway.” They walked back to the bonfire holding hands the entire way and Jamie couldn't help but smile to herself. She'd finally let herself open up to someone and after all these years it wasn't so terrifying after all. Hannah and Owen gave them both a look as Jamie swiped the bottle from them. They knew what they were up too but they were too enveloped in each other's company to say anything.

As the night wore on Jamie found herself yawning and dreading what happened next. “Alright I need to head home. I'm bloody exhausted.” She stood up but the buzz from before had returned with a vengeance. She looked down and Dani had started to drift off. “Come on Poppins let's get you to bed.” Jamie put an arm around Dani's waist and lifted her up to help her into the house. Dani smiled and accepted the help. “Stay?” Dani asked. Jamie couldn't help but grin. “Let's get you to bed first.” They made their way into the house and up the stairs into Dani's room. She turned her back as Dani changed hoping that the attempt at politeness would pay off. “Jamie please stay?” Dani had walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around Jamie's waist with her face pressed against Jamie's back. “It is late. Are you sure?” Jamie turned to face Dani and saw that Dani had the worried look on her face again. “I'll stay and protect you from whatever lurks okay?” They climbed into bed and Dani leaned her back against Jamie's chest. Jamie brushed a hair from Dani's face and slowly traced circles down her arm before leaning down for a kiss. “Goodnight Poppins.” She whispered in between kisses. “Goodnight Jamie. Thank you.” Dani muttered as her eyes closed and she drifted off into a restful sleep. Possibly the first time either of them had slept soundly in years.

The next morning Jamie awoke to Dani standing in front of the window with two cups of tea sitting on the bedside table. “Good morning sleepy head!” Dani said with a grin. “Morning Poppins. What's this? Another attempt?” She reached for the cup and noticed there wasn't enough milk for her liking. Grinning, she sipped at it and said, “Nearly there Poppins! A tad more milk!” She watched Dani's face light up as she sipped her own cup. “Thanks for keeping me company last night.” Dani leaned onto the bed and reached for Jamie's hand. “Any time. I'm always here to defend against evil undead boyfriends or whatever else keeps you awake at night.” Dani smiled and heard the sound of footsteps. “I guess I'll go check on those two before they decide to try and cook themselves breakfast again.” Jamie wished they could spend the morning in bed but nodded. “As long as Miles doesn't try and set the kitchen on fire again like last time.” She thought fondly of the fire department having to put out the small blaze that Miles had accidentally set while trying to make breakfast for everyone. Dani laughed and slowly closed the door behind her. As Jamie stood up to get ready for her day in the gardens she thought of the previous night and everything that had happened. She still wasn't sure what was running through Dani's mind but she was determined to find out even if it meant embarrassing herself in the process.


	3. Simple Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The zipper scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the timeline is messed up. I'm doing this from memory.

Any other day she'd be awake early to tend to the gardens but today was a somber day. Owen's mother had passed and Jamie had woken up early to get to Bly so she could bring Dani to the funeral. Not as her date of course. She wouldn't dare assume anything even though she'd spent more nights in Dani's bed than her own apartment lately. Her thoughts wandered to the last night she'd spend with Dani listening to her shallow breaths as she slept and how safe she felt for the first time in her life. As the gates to Bly approached she felt a weird chill come over her and knew something was off. She quickly walked up the steps to Dani's room and waited a second before knocking on the door. “Jamie?” She heard Dani call out and when she opened the door she found her staring at the wall with a weird look on her face. “Dani what's wrong?” Dani looked down at the ground and held back tears. “I... I had a funeral this year. I..” Jamie reached for Dani and enveloped her in a hug. She felt Dani lean into her hug and let out a small whimper. “It's okay. I'm here.” She whispered into Dani's hair. “You don't have to go as my date. It's your day off! You should relax!” She said as Dani stepped back and took a deep breath. “Okay thanks. Can you help me get this off?” Dani said pointing to the back of her dress. Jamie's face flushed and she whispered a quick, “blimey!” to herself. She unzipped Dani's dress, lingering for a moment at the base of her spine. A chill ran up Jamie's arm and she prayed Dani didn't feel it. “I'll be back after the funeral and if I find out you haven't been relaxing there will be serious consequences!” Jamie said grinning. Dani breathed another sigh of relief and nodded. Jamie walked out of the Au Pair's room and laughed quietly. It was these moments where she wanted to spill her guts and confess her feelings to Dani but she stopped herself in case Dani rejected her. She got into her car and left for the funeral and noticed Dani was watching her leave. She knew Dani wouldn't relax but she secretly hoped she would take a nap at least. Her worry for Dani was starting to consume her in little doses and she knew she was doomed. She had fallen for the blonde Au Pair and knew she'd have to confess eventually.


End file.
